Washington Connection Benefit Portal

Second Annual Report to the Legislature and the Governor

Washington Connection Benefit Portal

RCW 74.04.225

2010 Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2782, Section 2 Establishment of an Online Opportunity Portal to Provide More Effective Access to Available Services

December 1, 2012

Economic Services Administration | Office of the Assistant Secretary

P.O. Box 45070 | Olympia, WA 98504-5070

(360) 725-4676 | FAX: (360) 725-4588

Washington Connection Benefit Portal – Your Link to Services P a g e | 1 Second Annual Report to the Legislature and the Governor Department of Social and Health Services | Economic Services Administration December 1, 2012

Contents

Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................ 2

Full Report on Washington Connection Benefit Portal 2012 ............................................................ 5

Background ..................................................................................................................................... 6

National Recognition ...................................................................................................................... 7

Update on Legislative Requirements .............................................................................................. 8

Customer Input and Online Customer Survey Outcomes ............................................................ 11

Washington Connection Annual Expenditures ............................................................................. 12

Success Indicators and Outcomes ................................................................................................ 12

Appendices ....................................................................................................................................... 19

Appendix A – Advisory Committee Membership: 2012 - 2013 .................................................... 20

Appendix B – Benefit Programs Available through Online Application ........................................ 21

Appendix C – Maps of Assisting Agencies and Host Organizations .............................................. 22

The Department of Social and Health Services does not discriminate and provides equal access to its

programs and services for all persons without regard to race, color, gender, religion, creed, marital status,

national origin, sexual orientation, age, veteran’s status, or the presence of any physical, sensory or mental

disability.

TTY/VCO users may also call Washington Relay Service by dialing 711.


Executive Summary

This is the second annual report in fulfillment of RCW 74.04.225. The 2010 Legislature

enacted legislation E2SHB2782 to strengthen existing efforts of state agencies to

implement an online benefit portal, Washington Connection, and to simplify and

streamline access to a broad array of state, federal and local services and benefits.

Washington Connection has proven to be a successful tool providing people access to an

array of services and benefits. The customer feedback has been very positive indicating

the website is user friendly, convenient, and easy to use. Client efficiency is gained by

saving them time and money. Successfully implemented in December 2010 and

enhanced quarterly thereafter, Washington Connection has received national recognition

such as the Bright Ideas award from the Ash Center at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School

of Government.

Background

The Washington State Legislature required an efficient, effective, integrated approach to

the delivery of basic support services as well as education and training programs. This

approach is accomplished via the Washington Connection Benefit Portal through strong

partnerships between government agencies, community partners, community colleges,

and philanthropic organizations.

Implemented in December 2010, the Washington Connection benefit portal offers easy

access for residents to learn about benefits and services and submit an application online.

The portal has removed barriers for many residents in applying for and renewing benefits

to meet basic needs. The portal also provides online tools for community-based

organizations to help their clients in applying for services and benefits.

The Secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) serves as the

executive sponsor of the Washington Connection Advisory Committee comprised of

representatives from private and public organizations (see Appendix A). The Advisory

Committee guides the direction of Washington Connection’s long-term strategies while

the Department administers the tasks to support the portal and its daily operations.

Currently the residents can apply electronically for up to 28 state and federal benefit

programs through Washington Connection, and the City of Seattle residents can apply for

additional seven services provided by the City (see Appendix B).

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=74.04.225

https://www.washingtonconnection.org/


National Recognition

DSHS and its partners fully embrace the vision and direction set by the legislation. The

accomplishment is achieved through active collaboration with stakeholders and

community based organizations. This model of leveraging private-public partnerships to

provide services and benefits through an online portal is effective and unique. As a

result, Washington Connection received the 2012 Bright Ideas award from the Ash Center

for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of

Government in recognition of its use of innovative technology to address mounting

demands for social services and benefits in the face of diminishing state resources.

Update on Legislative Requirements

Throughout the state, Department staff in Community Services Offices (CSOs) and Mobile

CSOs help individuals apply for services and benefits. Residents can also work with

community-based organizations to access the portal at a wide array of locations. As of

September 2012, Washington Connection has registered 622 community partners (see

Appendix C). Each organization registered either as a Host Organization that simply

provides access to computers and information brochures or as an Assisting Agency that

provides staff to help individuals apply for benefits using Washington Connection. Of the

622 partners, there were 508 Host Organizations and 114 Assisting Agencies.

One of the legislative requirements is to implement paperless application processes for

the services offered through Washington Connection. The overall online submissions –

including online applications, reports of change in circumstances, and eligibility renewals

– have grown nine percent since Washington Connection was implemented in December

2010 (see Page 9 for more information).

To explore opportunities to increase online (paperless) submissions, discussions about

adding new programs to online application have taken place with the Office of the

Superintendent of Public Instruction, Department of Health, Department of Commerce,

Pierce County, and local Housing Authorities. Barriers to adding their programs to online

application include: (1) the need for in-person assessments during the application

process, (2) the lack of a database system that could receive and process online

application data, and (3) the special needs of various populations that prefer paper

applications. DSHS staff supporting Washington Connection will continue to collaborate


with these potential partnering government agencies to explore solutions in addressing

these barriers.

Customer Input and Online Customer Survey Outcomes

Through a “contact us” link on the website, e-mails, focus groups, and an online customer

survey, the Department has been collecting customer, staff and community partner

feedback to improve the system. Examples of recent improvements include redesigning

the homepage to make it more user friendly, providing community partners with access

to additional client information, and adding a public access directory at the county level.

The Department posted the online survey for Washington Connection in October 2011.

The survey results revealed how the portal is functioning and offered some consistent

themes:

More than 80 percent of the Washington Connection customers use the portal to

find and get social services or benefits for themselves or their families.

More than 80 percent of the customers would recommend the portal to others.

More than 60 percent rate the portal as “good” or “very good.”

Success Indicators and Outcomes

A cross-agency measurement team with representatives from benefit program managers,

information technology analysts, research staff and collaborating consultants identified a

number of key success indicators for Washington Connection. Each success indicator may

include a number of measurements. The key success indicators identified include:

Online customer survey results by clients and community-based organizations Number and percent of applications submitted through Washington Connection Number of clients who created Client Benefit Accounts in Washington Connection Number of registered community based organizations (CBO) Number of partnering Assisting Agencies that created CBO Accounts Number of benefit programs that can be applied online through Washington

Connection


Full Report on Washington

Connection

Benefit Portal

2012


The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS or the Department) submits this

second report in fulfillment of RCW 74.04.225. The 2010 Legislature enacted legislation

to strengthen existing efforts of state agencies to implement an online benefit portal,

Washington Connection, to simplify and streamline access to a broad array of state,

federal and local benefits.

Background

The Department, working in collaboration with community partners, government

agencies, tribes and local jurisdictions, and with the support of philanthropic

organizations, formed a private-public partnership and steering committee. Together,

these organizations sought the necessary private funding to develop the benefit portal,

initially referred to as the Washington State Benefit Portal Partnership Project. The

Steering Committee chartered a project team and established a shared governance

structure. In July 2010, the portal was named Washington Connection with a tagline Your

Link to Services. The portal began providing online application access to state benefits in

December 2010, and expanded its functionality to include benefit programs administered

by the City of Seattle in August 2011.

Upon completion of the initial project to develop and launch Washington Connection, the

private-public Steering Committee shifted to an advisory role. The Secretary of the

Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) serves as the executive sponsor of the

Washington Connection Advisory Committee, which is comprised of representatives from

private and public organizations (see Appendix A). Together, they guide the direction of

Washington Connection’s long-term strategies while DSHS administers the tasks to

support the portal and its daily operations. The Washington Connection Advisory

Committee is developing a Strategic Plan for 2013-2015 that is expected to be finalized in

December 2012.

Washington Connection now provides 28 state and federal programs for which state

residents can apply electronically. City of Seattle residents can apply for additional seven

services provided by the City (see Appendix B). To add more benefit programs to

Washington Connection online application, the Department has explored new

partnership opportunities with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction,

Department of Health, Department of Commerce, Pierce County, and local Housing

Authorities.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=74.04.225

https://www.washingtonconnection.org/


There is a high level of commitment within the Washington Connection Advisory

Committee, the Partnership Subcommittee, and the Department. Staff members are

committed to improving the technology and community outreach to accomplish the

Washington Connection Vision that “Everyone in Washington State is able to meet basic

needs and has the opportunity to prosper.”

To implement RCW 74.04.225, representatives from both private and public sectors

collaboratively developed the mission for the Washington Connection portal to increase

access to a variety of services and benefits for low-income individuals and families in

Washington State. Over the past two years, the Washington Connection partnership has

made significant progress in achieving this mission through creating an online benefit

portal that sets the foundation for moving towards the vision.

National Recognition

The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard’s Kennedy

School awarded Washington Connection its 2012 Bright Ideas award. In 2010, the

Innovations in American Government Awards Program launched Bright Ideas to recognize

and promote excellence and creativity in the public sector. Ash Center’s Government

Innovators Network will highlight Washington Connection on its homepage and include it

in a searchable database in 2013.

Washington Connection received this prestigious recognition because of its innovative

approach to use technology to address mounting demands for social services and benefits

in the face of diminishing state resources. Through collaborative partnership with private

foundations and nonprofit community organizations, the Department developed this

web-based benefit portal to meet the needs of low-income residents seeking information,

screening for eligibility and applying for up to 28 state and federal benefits plus seven City

of Seattle benefit programs using the same online application.


Update on Legislative Requirements

In its first report to the Washington Legislature, the Department of Social and Health

Services detailed how it met each of the major requirements set forth in RCW 74.04.225.

Provided in this second report are status updates to the requirements. The major

requirements are noted in Italics font below and the Department’s results follow.

Provide Residents Access at a Wide Array of Locations

Requirement: Provide access to the portal at a wide array of locations including

but not limited to: community or technical colleges, community college campuses

where community service offices are colocated, community-based organizations,

libraries, churches, food banks, state agencies, early education sites, and labor

unions.

Result Achieved: As of September 2012, DSHS and the Washington Connection

Advisory Committee recruited 622 Community Partners, including 114 Assisting

Agencies and 508 Host Organizations. Ongoing outreach efforts continue.

Individuals seeking assistance may gain access to Washington Connection from

their homes, kiosks at the Department’s local Community Services Offices (CSOs),

community and technical colleges, community-based organizations, libraries,

churches, food banks, some state agencies, early childhood education sites, labor

unions, and other locations, including health care clinics.

A key strategy of Washington Connection’s Advisory Committee is to increase the

number of community partner agencies that can assist individuals who cannot

complete an online application by themselves. They also actively promote the use

of the portal for continued client service and follow-up.

Ongoing outreach is essential to engage more community partners in using

Washington Connection as well as educate them about the website’s functions

and opportunities for helping clients, especially underserved populations. For

example, the participation rate for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

(SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps) was 72 percent among eligible

Washington residents in 2009, but only 34 percent for elderly and 15.6 percent for

Hispanics.


Communicating with community partners also helps identify barriers in reaching

underserved populations and using Washington Connection. Because there are

fewer public transportation options and gasoline is expensive, expanded use of

Washington Connection would be a helpful option for residents in rural areas.

Many of the underserved populations also reside in rural areas.

Implement Paperless Application Processes

Requirement: The department shall develop a plan for implementing paperless

application processes for the services included in the opportunity portal for which

the electronic exchange of application information is possible. The plan should

include a goal of achieving, to the extent possible, the transition of these services

to the paperless application processes by July 1, 2012. The plan must comply with

federal statutes and regulations and must allow applicants to submit applications

by alternative means to ensure that access to benefits will not be restricted.

Result Achieved: To implement paperless application process, ongoing efforts are

in place to increase the number of benefit programs that can be applied online

through Washington Connection. Online (paperless) submissions – including

online applications, reports of change in circumstances, and eligibility renewals –

have grown nine percent since Washington Connection was implemented in

December 2010. The volume of online submissions was close to 1.2 million and

was distributed as follows:

Type of Online Submission December 2010 September 2012

Online Application 52% of total 55% of total

Report of Changes 45% of total 67% of total

Eligibility Renewal 17% of total 28% of total

All Online Submissions 37% of total 46% of total

Source: DSHS Barcode


Department staff members continue to explore opportunities to add more benefit

programs to portal online application, which will ultimately reduce the use of

paper applications. Through discussions with other state agencies and local

jurisdictions, the Department identified the following barriers:

Some benefit programs require an in-person assessment or consultation

with local contracted agencies as part of the application process, such as

the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Supplemental Nutrition Program

and the Supplemental Security Income program for aged, blind or disabled

individuals with little or no income.

Many governmental agencies (state, county, city, or Tribe) do not have

database systems to receive or process online application data. For

example, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

managed by the Department of Commerce relies on local contractors to

process applications at this time. The Department of Commerce will need

to make changes to their database system and possibly their business

model before they can receive online application data from Washington

Connection.

For various populations, paper applications are more accessible than the

online application. These populations include homebound elderly,

individuals with disabilities and persons who cannot read English or

Spanish (translations in other languages are available in paper forms only).

However, DSHS is seeing more community outreach organizations’ staff

take the application process out to individuals who need help, using

mobile devices such as i-Pads, tablets, and laptops.

The Department embraces the goal of maximizing the proportion of online

applications for benefits while realizing that not all applications can come in

through an online process due to the barriers described above. To comply with

federal statutes and regulations, the Department and its Washington Connection

partners must allow applicants to submit applications by alternative means to

ensure that access to benefits and services will not be restricted.


Customer Input and Online Customer Survey Outcomes

Department staff members actively solicit feedback from customers using Washington

Connection through a “contact us” link on the portal, e-mails, focus groups, and an online

survey. The Department continues to use these sources to improve the functionality,

appearance and navigation of Washington Connection after hearing from Washington

Connection customers, community partners and Department staff. Recent improvements

include the following:

Redesigned the Washington Connection homepage, released October 2012, after

soliciting feedback on the information offered online and the usability of the

website

Implemented an online reporting tool to document Medicaid-eligible newborns

and initiate the auto-enrollment for the Children’s Health Insurance Program

Added the online registration tool for community-based organizations (CBOs) to

sign up as Host Organizations or Assisting Agencies of Washington Connection

Provided community partners with access to additional client information through

the CBO Account “Client Search” query function

Posted a county-level public access directory of Host Organizations and Assisting

Agencies that offer public access to customers in need of help

Added a link in the portal to the Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing’s Telephone

Equipment Distribution Program in July 2012

In addition, Washington Connection partners requested reports to allow them to evaluate

the effectiveness of the website and to develop strategies to maximize the use of the

online application. Department staff completed Phase 1 reports for internal staff in

August 2012. The next phase of this enhancement will make the reports available to

external partners through Washington Connection.


Washington Connection Annual Expenditures

Information Technology Maintenance and Operations

The maintenance and operations expenditures for the period August 2011 through July

2012 totaled $333,254. In addition to software costs, this figure includes personnel

resources for business analysis, web architecture, technical support, application

development, testing, help desk, and customer support.

Business Administration

The administrative expenditures for the period of August 2011 through July 2012 totaled

$212,622. This figure represents Department staff responsible for duties including setting

business priorities, supporting the Advisory Committee, community partner outreach and

training, public marketing, partnership development with governmental agencies, as well

as data analysis and reporting.

Success Indicators and Outcomes

A cross-agency measurement team with representatives from benefit program managers,

information technology analysts, research staff and collaborating consultants identified a

number of key success indicators for Washington Connection. Each success indicator may

include a number of measurements. The key success indicators identified include:

Online customer survey results by clients and community-based organizations

Number and percent of applications submitted through Washington Connection

Number of clients who created Client Benefit Accounts in Washington Connection

Number of registered community based organizations (CBO)

Number of partnering Assisting Agencies that created CBO Accounts

Number of benefit programs that can be applied online through Washington

Connection

The following section provides the data supporting these success indicators.


Online Customer Survey Results

The initial online customer survey on Washington Connection ran from October 2011

through July 9, 2012. The customer survey results were relatively consistent over time.

Figure 1 – Why did you visit Washington Connection website?

n = 6,384 n = 6,732 n = 5,353

Figure 1 Summary – More than 80 percent of those responding to the survey visited the

website to find or get benefits or services for themselves or their families. The “Other”

category, which indicates eligibility checking and information gathering, increased to

almost 17 percent over the report periods.

Figure 2 – Overall, how would you rate the Washington Connection website?

n = 2,610 n = 2,814 n = 2,197

82.9%

2.2%

14.8%

81.7%

2.4%

15.9%

80.7%

2.4%

16.9%

I wanted to find or get social services or benefits for me or my family.

As a worker in a community agency, I helped our clients apply for services or benefits.

Other (please explain):

10/15/2011 - 1/9/2012 1/9/2012 - 4/9/2012 4/9/2012 - 7/9/2012

I wanted to find or get social services or

benefits for me or my family.

As a worker in a community agency, I helped

our clients apply for services or benefits.

Other (See if eligible, get information, help

others, etc.)

25%

36%

26%

8% 5%

25%

35%

25%

9% 6%

27%

35%

24%

9% 5%

Very Good Good Average Poor Very Poor

10/15/2011 - 1/9/2012 1/9/2012 - 4/9/2012 4/9/2012 - 7/9/2012


Figure 2 Summary – The overall rating of the website has shown some recent

improvement with 62.1 percent giving the site a “Good” or “Very Good” rating the last

quarter compared with about 61 percent for the two previous quarters.

Figure 3 – Would you recommend the Washington Connection website to people who are trying

to find social services or benefits?

n = 2,570 n = 2,789 n = 2,178

Figure 3 Summary – Figure 3 shows an increasing percentage of respondents agreeing

that they would recommend Washington Connection to others trying to find social

services or benefits. Over the three quarters, more than 80 percent of survey

respondents would recommend the portal to others.

Online and Paper Submissions

Residents can make three types of submissions either through the online Washington

Connection Benefit Portal or by paper:

1. Application for benefits and services

2. Eligibility renewal

3. Report of change in circumstances

80.7%

81.2%

82.7%

Percent answering "Yes"

10/15/2011 - 1/9/2012 1/9/2012 - 4/9/2012 4/9/2012 - 7/9/2012


To measure the success of Washington Connection, the Department and its partners

monitor the market share of online submissions compared to paper submissions. From

December 2010, the beginning of the Washington Connection Benefit Portal, through

September 2012, the cumulative number of online submissions reached almost 1.2

million.

Figure 4 – Online Submissions by Type – December 2010 and September 2012

Trend Type of Online Submission December 2010 September 2012 Difference

Online Application 52% 55% +3%

Report of Changes 45% 67% +22%

Eligibility Renewals 17% 28% +11%

All Online Submissions 37% 46% +9%


Figure 4 Summary – Figure 4 shows that the share of online submissions of all types

(applications, change in circumstances and eligibility reviews) has increased over the

period of December 2010 to September 2010 by 9 percent. The trend lines show that for

all types of submissions, online use is growing.

Over the reporting period, overall online submissions increased from 37 percent to 46

percent. Each of the components of online submissions increased as well.

Online applications comprised 55 percent of all applications in September 2012, up from

52 percent. Change in circumstances requests increased from 45 percent to 67 percent,

which showed the greatest increase and the highest online participation rate over time.

Eligibility reviews increased from 17 percent to 28 percent from December 2010 through

September 2012.


Total Online Submissions by County

There are two ways for Washington residents to apply, renew or report change in circumstances online. They can apply from home or from public access places, such as public libraries, or they can seek help from community-based organizations called Assisting Agencies.

Figure 5 – Percent of Online Submissions by County

(Provided in parentheses is the count of total submissions – including paper and online)

September 2012

Note: There were 607 submissions from Headquarters/Statewide in the totals, of which 55 percent were

online.


Figure 5 Summary – Figure 5 shows the online share of all submissions by county for September 2012. The total count of submissions, including online and paper, are in parentheses next to the county.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Adams (407) Asotin (468)

Benton (3,162) Chelan (1,355) Clallam (1,468)

Clark (7,963) Columbia (73)

Cowlitz (2,587) Douglas (626)

Ferry (171) Franklin (1,673)

Garfield (38) Grant (1,892)

Grays Harbor (1,926) Island (937)

Jefferson (515) King (26,839) Kitsap (3,759) Kittitas (754)

Klickitat (398) Lewis (1,860) Lincoln (142)

Mason (1,166) Okanogan (977)

Pacific (550) Pend Oreille (250)

Pierce (15,698) San Juan (158) Skagit (2,463)

Skamania (200) Snohomish (10,648)

Spokane (10,284) Stevens (847)

Thurston (4,415) Wahkiakum (57)

Walla Walla (1,186) Whatcom (3,661)

Whitman (542) Yakima (6,212)


The statewide average in September 2012 for the share of online submissions was 46

percent (see red line). Eighteen of the counties, or 46 percent, had an online share of 46

percent or above. Twelve of those counties had online shares of 50 percent and above.

Six counties accounted for nearly two-thirds of all the submissions for benefits, including

online and paper submissions. These counties in rank order are King, Pierce, Snohomish,

Spokane, Clark and Yakima, the same ones that consistently account for the highest

concentrations of poverty as well as public assistance usage.

Benefit Programs available through Washington Connection

There are 35 benefit programs available through Washington Connection, including 28

State and Federal programs and seven City of Seattle programs for which City residents

can apply online. (See Appendix B for the detailed listing.)

Client Benefit Accounts

Clients who are receiving benefits from the Department or Health Care Authority can

create Client Benefit Accounts (CBAs) that provide them with “real-time” online access to

monitor their benefit history and amount (of cash, food or medical assistance). They can

access this free and secure website 24 hours a day, seven days a week, reducing the need

to call the Contact Center about their cases.

Clients with CBAs can see the list of household members, their program status (active or

suspended), and benefit amounts and dates. They can also see the type of documents

submitted through Washington Connection and received by the Department.

There were 25,625 User IDs (identifications) created in Washington Connection for online

applications as of October 24, 2011. Among them, 1,384 also had Client Benefit

Accounts. Since then, the number of users has almost tripled with 71,820 User IDs as of

August 12, 2012. Of those with User IDs, 12,339 had created Client Benefit Accounts and

of which 10,850 were active. The latest number shows close to a nine-fold increase

among those with Client Benefit Accounts.


Registered Community Partners

As of September 20, 2012, the number of community partners was 622 (see Appendix C

for maps of Assisting Agencies and Host Organizations). Of this number, 114 were

Assisting Agencies, an increase of 30 Assisting Agencies from October 24, 2011.

Assisting Agencies are community-based organizations that have staff or volunteers who

help individuals in completing and submitting online applications through Washington

Connection. Assisting Agencies are required to fill out a DSHS Data Share Agreement and

a Confidentiality Non-Disclosure form.

There were 508 Host Organizations as of September 20, 2012. Host Organizations are

local organizations that provide public or limited access to computers with the desktop

icon to Washington Connection, plus any brochures or printed material regarding

Washington Connection. Their staff members provide limited assistance to clients.


Appendices


Appendix A – Advisory Committee Membership: 2012 - 2013

Executive Sponsor Robin Arnold-Williams, Secretary, Department of Social and Health Services

Committee Members David Bley, Director, Pacific Northwest Initiative, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

John Bowers, Director of Workforce Education, North Seattle Community College

Gina Breukelman, Community Investor: Health and Human Services, Global Corporate Citizenship,

Boeing Company

Robert Coit, Executive Director, Thurston County Food Bank

Bradley Finnegan, Senior Policy Analyst, Health Benefit Exchange

Ed Fox, Health Director, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe

Patty Hayes, Director, Community Health Services Division, Public Health Seattle and King County

Debbie Kendall, Technology Advisor, OFM Office of the Chief Information Officer

Diane Klontz, Managing Director, Community Economic Opportunity, Department of Commerce

Sue Langen, Chief Information Officer, Department of Social and Health Services

Tony Lee (Co-Chair), Policy Director, Statewide Poverty Action Network, Solid Ground

Carol Mizoguchi, Director, Casey Family Programs

Chris Morton, Executive Director, Associated Ministries

Alexis Oliver, Policy Advisor, Governor’s Executive Policy Office

Manning Pellanda, Managing Director, Eligibility and Service Delivery, Health Care Authority

Alice Shobe, Executive Director, Building Changes

Dannette R. Smith, Director, Human Services Department, City of Seattle

Laura Smith, Executive Director, Washington Dental Service Foundation

David Stillman (Chair), Assistant Secretary, Economic Services Administration, Department of

Social and Health Services

Barbara Wasserman, Medical Social Worker, Swinomish Tribe

(Vacant), Washington House of Representatives

(Vacant), Washington State Senate


Appendix B – Benefit Programs Available through Online Application

State and federal benefit programs (28 programs)

Basic Food

Food Assistance Program for Legal Immigrants – state funded

Cash (the worker determines programs for which the client is eligible)

Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) Refugee Cash Assistance Aging, Blind, Disability (ABD) Cash Assistance Pregnant Women's Assistance Diversion Cash Assistance Consolidated Emergency Assistance Program State Family Assistance Program State Supplemental Payment

Medical (the worker determines programs for which the client is eligible)

Family Medical

ABD Medical (Single Disabled) Alien Emergency Medical Medical Care Services (Disability Lifeline Medical) Take Charge Family Planning

Children's Medical (the worker determines program for which the child is eligible)

Children's Medical and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

Pregnancy Medical

Drug or Alcohol Treatment

Help with medical bills (from the last three months)

Medicare Savings Program

Psychiatric Indigent Inpatient

Healthcare / Workers with Disabilities

Working Connections Child Care

In-Home Long Term Care Services

Assisted Living Facility / Adult Family Home

Nursing Home

Hospice

City of Seattle benefit programs (7 programs)

Utility Discount Program

City Light's Emergency Low-Income Assistance

Seattle Public Utilities' Emergency Assistance for Water

Child Care Assistance

Step Ahead Preschool Program

Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP)

Weatherization Assistance through HomeWise Program


Appendix C – Maps of Assisting Agencies and Host Organizations

Documents

Washington Connection Benefit Portal